Crash on SR18 in Central sends 3 to hospital

A chain reaction accident closed both lanes of SR 18 in Central sending 3 people, 2 of them in serious to the hospital.

The accident was a result of a car abrupty slowing down to make a turn causing the chain reaction involving a semitractor-trailer and two other vehicles.

According to the Utah Highway Patrol the accident seriously injured all 3 victims involved. One of the victims had to be extricated from they're vehicle and flown by Intermountain Life Flight Helicopter.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Hintze said that according to the accounts of witnesses and those involved in the collision, the accident was started by a vehicle traveling southbound on the two-lane highway that slowed down abruptly to make a left turn and signaled for “a half-second.”

“The person who did a poor job of signaling was at fault,” Hintze said. “It’s important to give at least two seconds to signal to give people behind you a good warning.”

Instead, according to Hintze, the three vehicles trailing that vehicle – a white Ford F-350 pickup, a white Ford Econoline van and a semitractor-trailer – had to abruptly stop and ended up colliding with each other.

The lead vehicle that signaled abruptly was not hit, Hintze said, and left the scene before authorities could arrive.